Seating

I’ve been to two weddings (was single) with open seating and hated it; I barely knew anyone, and I was so uncomfortable. Perhaps you can intro any guests who won’t know many people in advance, so they feel less lost?

I have really never seen anything wrong with open seating at any wedding I have been to. I am going with and open seating plan since it goes with a buffet style dinner.

Not a fan of open seating. It reminds me of middle school with people fighting for certain seat together or those who don’t know anyone feeling awkward.


You probably know your guests well enough to know what groups to sit together, or where a guest that doesn’t know anyone else would fit in best.
My favorite set up is assigning people a table but not a seat. That way the guest is secure in knowing they have a place, but those 6 to 10 people can decide where specifically to sit.

We have open seating we just made sure we had enough tables and select number of seats per table. The ones who would need up front we have reserved other than that it’s sit yourself

I have been to many wedding with open seating, and the only issue I have seen happen is there are a single open seat at multiple tables. For the most part people will figure it out haha
My wedding reception will be assigned seating, because we are making personalized favors, and are doing an exact guest count.

We are having a plated dinner so we have to do assigned seating. I've been to open seating style receptions before it was a bit chaotic. The tables can only seat so many so when a large group of people try to sit together it can cause issues with moving other people around or splitting couples apart.

I feel like open seating is a big chaotic especially for a large group. As a guest I would much rather prefer having an assigned seat instead of worrying about where I'll be seated

Open seating for smaller weddings can work, but the main reason Planners like assigned tables (you don’t have to assign the seat), is for a smooth transition from cocktail hour into dinner. Yes, guests like to pick their seat, but they also can find one faster when you assign them a table. During the time guests are getting seated is typically crucial for the timeline because there is a lot about to happen, introductions, grand entrance, welcome speeches, AND dinner is waiting. So by assigning tables it helps this process go smoothly and without the delays like having guests move chairs and place settings to turn a table for 8 into 10 to squeeze in more people or for a family of four struggling to find four seats together and a host of other issues (all of which I have seen). So if I have a client over 150 guests I strongly encourage them to assign tables, and if they don’t then we build in more time and we overset the reception since there will be tables that will be set for 8 but only get 5 or 6 guests... it tends to cost more to overset a room because it means more tables, place settings, linens, centerpieces, etc.

I personally don't like it. We've only been to two weddings with open seating, and it was kind of a mess. No one sat themselves properly & people were adding extra chairs to tables and there were lots of empty seats. It's also SUPER awkward for out of state guests or guests that don't know anyone else because they just have to sit down with random people they don't know.

My cousin had open seating for her 150 person wedding and ended up regretting it. People moved chairs to squish ~14ish people to tables meant for 8, leaving some tables with only 5 or so people. One table was completely empty all night. She said she regretted it because she had to rent tables separately and felt like a good 3-4 tables, linens and floral arrangements went to waste because everyone decided to just squish together.

I am doing table assignments, but not chair assignments to help meet in the middle.

With our wedding we just choose location of tables and how many seats per table. Of course, we have many extra chairs available and more tables if need be . We didn’t seat anyone. We did put one table in a spot closest to the restroom and kitchen for my niece who is disabled. Other than that, my view were all family pick a seat not a side ❤️

That's what we are doing, a seating chart, we pretty much know who our guests would like to sit with, and of course we've reserved some seating for extra people that may come late. I think it will work out just fine.